Tawana Land Board is owed P30 million in lease arrears and hungry to collect.
In a press briefing in Maun on Monday, Board Secretary, Dothodzo Bayedzi Tabengwa revealed that from April to August, they have only received P6 million in lease payments despite being owed P36 million.
“This is causing financial strain on the land board because it is partially financed by government. The government does not give us one hundred percent of our budget but only a little fraction of it. We get additional funds to run the organisation through land leases,” Tabengwa explained.
The board leases commercial plots in North West district, which covers: Maun, Sehithwa, Gumare, Shakawe and Seronga sub land-boards.
Lease amounts range from around P2, 000 annually depending on the size of the plot.
Tabengwa called on commercial plot owners to pay-up or risk being taken to court.
“In the old law, we were required to take the debtors to the High Court but with the new law, we can summon them to the Land Tribunal for order of action,” he warned, adding failure to pay can lead to withdrawal of leases by the land board.
“No business wants to go through that and we do not wish to take that route. But if payments are not forth coming that is the only option and remedy we have, the court of law,” stated Tabengwa during a brief interview after media briefing.
